Time and Time Again
by NephilimEQ
Summary: Buffy and Giles end up going back in time...to where Uther Pendragon is king. They meet a girl who takes them to Camelot, where they soon discover that everyone has secrets. Secrets worth killing for... This is a Buffy/Giles romance!
1. I Don't Do Horses

**Time & Time Again**

_Summary_: Story written based on _Challenge #4 - Knight Challenge _from the "Of Demons & Destiny" website. This is somewhere in season seven, however in my world, the world isn't ending because of the First. Instead, Giles comes back because he feels that Buffy has finally gotten her feet under her.

_Rating_: PG-13

_Spoilers_: The Freshman, The Replacement (kinda)

_Disclaimer_: I do not own any of these characters, though at times I wish...please, Joss, I beg you! Eilian, however, is strictly my own creation, as is the character of her teacher, Bowen.

_Author_: E. Quackenbush aka NephilimEQ

_Author's Notes_: I have truly had a wonderful time writing this story. It combines my two favorite shows...Buffy and Merlin! I mean, just imagine it...Rupert Giles versus Uther Pendragon in a sword fight? Oh good lord, what a sight! I have no clue as to whom I'd want to win, but I'd be leaning towards Giles, I think.

* * *

**1. Uh Uh...I Don't Do Horses**

Buffy launched herself at the vampire that came her way, executing a perfect back kick, knocking it to its' back.

She swung her arm, stake in hand, and soon her would-be attacker was nothing but dust. She stood up, brushing the dust off of her jeans, and glanced over to see how Giles was doing. Ever since the enjoining spell, the two of them had become an unstoppable force when it came to patrolling. He was faster than before, but she figured it was because of all of his running.

She saw him fighting a young fledgling, and doing an excellent job at keeping it at bay, his sword slashing. Suddenly, the vamp managed to flip him and land Giles on his back, obviously winding him.

As the vamp moved in for the kill, Buffy made her way over to it and quickly staked him.

She helped Giles up from the ground, and he stood up, brushing dust off his pants as well as mud from where he had fallen.

"Giles? Are you okay?" Her words fell on deaf ears as he seemed to ignore her, quickly letting go of her hand, sheathing his sword, and seemingly walking aimlessly around the area.

She spoke his name again, but he didn't respond. At that point, she realized that he was obviously looking for something. She began to follow him. She was so intent on following him, that she didn't even noticed when he stopped, and ran straight into him. There was a solid 'oomph' as she stumbled into him and they both began to fall to the ground.

He lifted his head slightly in bewilderment. "Buffy, what on earth-"

He was suddenly cut off as a blinding flash of light enveloped them both and the next thing they knew, they were hurtling towards the ground from the sky...in the daylight.

He instinctively braced himself for the impact, but still hit with impressive force. As the wind was knocked out of him by the ground against his back, it was knocked out of him yet again by the blonde figure who then landed right on top of him.

A collective groan came from both Buffy and Giles at the impact.

Buffy reached out trying to raise herself, and found herself face to face with her Watcher's chest. She heard him groan, and that was when she realized that she was probably making things worse by putting pressure on his already winded lungs. So instead she let herself slide to the side and the rolled over onto her back. As she opened her eyes, she closed them again when faced with the glaring brightness of the sun.

She finally managed to find her voice. "Giles? Where are we? And by the way, who turned on the sun?"

Even though he was still recovering from the fall and trying to ignore the band of pain across his back from where his sword lay strapped to his back, stuck between his body and the ground, the sound of her slightly cranky voice combined with her usual wit caused a laugh to bubble up out of him uncontrollably.

At the sound of his laughter, she looked over at her Watcher, a glare forming on her features. Who was he to laugh at her?

She was about to retaliate with a witty retort, but it was cut off by the sound of a scream. A very feminine scream. At that point, both of them leapt up from their positions on the ground and took off running in the same direction. Someone screaming, both of them knew, was never a good sign.

Giles was the first to arrive in the clearing, where he saw a girl on the ground near the side of a river about to be attacked by a griffin. Part bird and part lion, it was fearsome creature...and it was hungry.

Without thinking, he threw himself between the young maiden and the beast, drawing his sword from its sheath and brandishing it before him.

Buffy finally made her way to the embankment, and what she saw before her was a sight that she'd never expected to see.

There was Rupert Giles, his sword out in front of him, fighting off a creature that she'd never seen before in her life. It had the head of a raptor, with the hind legs of a lion and the claws of a raptor as well, along with a large pair of wings. She watched in slight trepidation as the beast feinted an attack, but Giles seemed ready for it and quickly got in a killing blow, slicing the sword straight through the heart.

The creature fell to the ground, obviously dead, and Buffy slowly made her way into the clearing. That was when she saw the young girl on the ground.

She rushed over to her side, checking to see if the girl had any wounds.

There appeared to be none, save for a cut along one of her arms, but it was superficial and needed next to no doctoring.

"Are...are you alright?"

The young girl looked up at Buffy, and that was when Buffy realized that the girl was older than she thought. At the very least, twenty-one. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but she was relatively pretty in her own unique way. She had darker brown hair that fell just below her shoulders, a few sections done in small and delicate braids.

Her eyes were strong, and reminded her of herself. The young woman finally managed to respond. "I...I will be now. Th-thank you for rescuing me."

Buffy merely nodded and then reached for the girl's hand and helped her up, glancing briefly at the dress that she wore.

That was when she realized that she hadn't even asked the young woman's name.

"Excuse me...what's your name?" The young woman looked slightly affronted by the question, and instead began to walk out of the clearing; forcing Buffy to follow after her...but then she remembered Giles. She looked back to find him wiping his blade off in the river, and the thought 'knight in shining armor' popped into her head.

She called back to him. "Giles! This way...we're staying with her."

He looked up at her voice, and then nodded, quickly sheathing his sword and walking in the same direction as his Slayer and the damsel that they'd rescued.

As Buffy followed, she wondered briefly as to where the girl was going, but didn't bother to ask questions as she strode with a determined and knowledgeable stride. They went through a small grove of trees and found a horse waiting for them.

Buffy watched with some astonishment as the girl swung up onto the equine that looked like it could be a warhorse.

It was a very beautiful chestnut color, with a mane and tail just barely lighter than the actual color of the coat, and it had a broad and deep chest that seemed to speak of a deep strength in the animal. Buffy stood back slightly, not used to being around such creatures. As she did so, it occurred to her that it was rather ironic that she was used to being around demons and vampires, but not around such a regular animal as a horse.

Giles approached from behind, and placed a gentle hand on her back, reassuring her.

"Dear lady," he said formally addressing the girl seated on her horse. "I am...Sir Rupert Giles, and this is my..." He paused, suddenly realizing what he was going to do. "...My fiancé, Lady Elizabeth Summers."

He felt Buffy's back tense under where his hand gently rested. He knew, though, that it was the only way to make sure that she would stay with him the entire time. No man would dare chase after a woman who was betrothed to be married, no matter what time period they happened to be in.

Giles continued speaking. "Would you be so kind as to direct us to the nearest village, or city, by chance? We were accosted upon by thieves, and we have virtually nothing, save for my sword which I managed to save. We need shelter and food, and then we will find our way."

The young woman looked down at him, her expression hard, with a slight wash of confusion mixed in as he mentioned his name, but it soon softened as she heard his words.

She dismounted, and with the reins in her hands, walked towards them.

"Of course...My name is Eilian. Please...follow me. I'm going to Camelot to see the king, and I'm sure that he would be willing to help you out." At this, both Buffy and Giles froze. After a moment, Giles found his voice.

He cleared his throat and then spoke. "Did you say...Camelot? And the king is..." He hesitated before saying the name. "Arthur Pendragon?"

Eilian shook her head in the negative. "No, of course not..." Both Buffy and Giles breathed twin sighs of relief. But Eilian continued. "Arthur is still merely the prince...the king, of course, is his father, Uther Pendragon." Buffy was slightly confused, as she did not know much about Arthurian legend, but she felt Giles tense up once more and that made her nervous.

Buffy started to speak, but Eilian cut her off. "Pardon me for one moment, m'lady..."

She turned towards what seemed to be the empty woods and then gave a call, a soft clicking of her tongue. At this, another horse appeared from just beyond the bend, just as stunning as the first.

It was a deep, dark brown, with a small white diamond on the forehead.

She turned back towards Buffy and her Watcher, holding the reins out towards them. "Here, you may ride Andras. He was my..." Eilian faltered, then continued. "My mentor's steed, but he is without owner. You may use my mentor's clothes if you wish, sir, and you may borrow a dress of mine, Lady Elizabeth."

That was when the both of them realized that they weren't exactly wearing the proper clothes.

Giles quickly voiced his thanks. "Thank you, Lady Eilian. For this, we are most grateful."

He pulled some clothes from the pack on the back of Andras and headed towards the bushes for some privacy as Eilian pulled a dress from her own pack and handed it to Buffy. "Here you go, Lady Elizabeth. This should fit you, 'tis always been a tad bit tight on myself." Buffy nodded her thanks and quickly found a private place to change.

Giles came out first, finding himself much more comfortable in the black tunic and riding breeches. The shoes happened to fit as well. He fitted the leather gauntlets to his wrists, and then found a belt that allowed him to have a place for his sword and sheath, instead of across his back.

As he put his old clothes into the pack, Buffy appeared from the bushes. He had to catch his breath.

She wore an off-white dress, ivory you would call it, and it was stunning on her. It had lace at the neckline, which flowed from the edge of her shoulders to just above her breasts. It was very flattering.

As Buffy came out of the brush, she saw Giles...good lord, was that her Watcher?

The phrase that had popped into her head earlier, 'knight in shining armor' seemed to apply now, more than ever, to her Watcher. She ignored the slightly breathless sensation and continued to the horse, handing her clothes to him to put into the pack. He did so, and then Eilian stepped forward towards both of them.

She tried to hand the reins to Buffy, but Buffy backed up, waving her hands in front of her in protest.

"Uh uh...I don't do horses."

Giles sighed in exasperation as he took the reins instead and then grabbed his Slayer by the waist, hoisting her up into the saddle before she could even speak a word of protest.

Buffy held onto the...'uh, pommel?'...in front of her in absolute desperation, praying she didn't fall off. How dare he! He knew that she didn't know how to ride and that she much preferred walking and...oh. Suddenly, she found her Watcher sitting directly behind her, his arms coming around her sides to hold the reins.

She tried not to react to the feel of his body against her back, but it was rather hard to do as he was right there and she had no method of escape.

"Buffy..." He bit his tongue at what he was going to say, but realized that if he didn't, she would end up rather sore. Correction: more sore than she already would be. And a cranky Slayer was not something he wanted to deal with. "If you could just lean back...please? It will make things much easier."

She sighed in mock exasperation, but soon relented, leaning into the welcoming fold of her Watcher's arm as he slid one arm around her waist and kept the other one holding the reins.

Eilian watched with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Does Lady Elizabeth not know how to ride, Sir Rupert?"

Giles was about to speak, but Buffy interrupted him. "It's not that...it's just that I prefer _to_ _walk_," she said pointedly, lightly and indiscreetly jabbing Giles in the ribs as she did so. "I like solid ground beneath my feet."

At this, Eilian actually smiled. "I can understand that, Lady Elizabeth. Now, if neither of you mind, we do need to be going...we're rather close. Only a few hours ride and we'll be within the city walls and you will finally have shelter and food. If you need food right now, there are some provisions in the pack right behind you."

With that, she urged her horse forward into an extended walk, and Giles admired her riding form for a moment. She had an excellent seat, and it was obvious that the horse was well-trained, as well as its' rider.

He urged Andras into the same gait, matching stride with Eilian's horse.

Buffy looked up and saw her Watcher's eyes on the young woman and a flash of anger went through her. She didn't know why, but she decided to ignore it and shove it into the recesses of her mind. She did, however, note that it was identical to the one that she'd had when she'd seen Olivia in his apartment.

* * *

**Part 1/?**


	2. They're Both Giles!

**2. Oh Wait...I Get It. They're Both Giles!**

* * *

During the ride, she found herself enjoying being in her Watcher's arms. He was stronger than other men, and she had a tendency to forget that at times, but relying on him to keep her from falling was opening her eyes slightly. It had been a surprise for her to find out that Giles could ride, but a very pleasant one. It seemed to suit him and his personality.

The horse, as well, was one that she found herself quickly warming up to. Andras was very strong, and was easily handling the both of their weights while still keeping a steady stride.

It was obvious from the way Andras responded so readily to Giles touch, that he had been properly trained. He was one of the most gentle animals that Buffy had ever come across, while at the same time exuding a raw strength, reminding her of Giles.

Buffy listened half-heartedly to the conversation that was going beside her. Giles had struck up a casual conversation with Eilian, and was making sure that Buffy was included as well, but Buffy merely interjected a noise of understanding from time to time, mainly listening, not contributing.

However, Buffy soon spoke up and asked a question that had been on her mind for a while.

"So...where are you from, my lady?" She made a conscious effort to remember to add the "my lady" part onto the end, trying to keep up with the standard of respect that Giles had been showing her.

Eilian hesitated slightly before answering. Buffy noticed this, and wondered why. "I'm from Celtica...I'm a, uh, a servant of the royal house."

Buffy glanced up at Giles, to see if he noted the hesitation, and Giles returned the glance. Yes, he'd noticed alright. In fact, he had known that she was of Celtica simply by her name. Her name was old Welsh. He had a feeling that she was more than she said, and from the way she could ride, he suspected she was royalty.

Buffy turned the subject to a different matter.

"Lady Eilian...what do you know of this area? My fiancé and I do not know it very well..." She felt Giles tense slightly as she mentioned what their relationship status was, but she ignored it. It had been his idea in the first place.

Eilian gave a small smile. "It's quite beautiful and very fertile. The land will grow almost anything, which makes Camelot a unique land. We do have some of that back in my land, but it is very damp nearly year round."

As she mentioned her home, both Buffy and Giles heard the note of nostalgia slip into her voice.

Suddenly, as if an invisible axe had sliced through the trees, the forest stopped and there were fields. Buffy and Giles both caught their breath at the sight. Right before their eyes were cultivated fields that led up to stone walls, which were obviously the walls of Camelot. People worked in the fields, oblivious to the strangers at the edge of their land.

Eilian smiled. "Yes, beautiful isn't it?"

They merely nodded, and then followed the woman towards the pathway that wound itself among the crops.

As they came into what was considered the lower part of the town, a few people came out of their houses to see the strangers that were passing through, and then something odd happened.

A younger woman, of darker complexion, looked at Giles and then suddenly fell to her knees, dropping her eyes to the ground.

Buffy and Giles watched in confusion as several other people did the same, and they continued through the town, making their way to the gates of the city. However, Buffy noticed that Eilian didn't seem as surprised...in fact, she almost seemed to be expecting that sort of reaction.

As they approached, Giles noticed that more and more people were noticing them and soon he could make out a few whispers. Something about "the king" and a few other things that he didn't quite understand. Buffy, on the other hand, was distracted by looking at the wares that were for sale. One small place sold dresses, and though she pleaded, he said no.

She began to pout, but then she saw the actual castle and her visage quickly changed from disappointment to surprise.

They arrived in the courtyard without problem after Eilian introduced herself to the guards and explained that they were with her.

Giles dismounted first, and then helped Buffy down from her perch. She suddenly nearly fell to her knees, and Giles reached out with his arms and caught her, letting go of the reins, thanking the gods above that the horse was well-trained as it merely stood, waiting.

His Slayer gave him an embarrassed smile. "I didn't know my legs were going to feel like they'd been made into tapioca."

He gave her a gentle smile of understanding, and a wave of warmth spread through her body. She shook her head at the sensation, and then tried to stand on her own. That was when she soon discovered that she couldn't. She looked up at Giles sheepishly. "Uh, Giles...I don't think I can stand."

She saw as he quickly grasped her meaning, and then without preamble he swung her up into his arms.

Buffy tried to hold in her gasp of surprise, and was pleased that she was able to. Wow...her Watcher was strong.

Lady Eilian turned towards both of them, a questioning look in her eyes. "Is the Lady Elizabeth alright?"

Giles gave a small shake of his head. "The ride has left her unable to walk for a while, as her legs are not accustomed to such long journeys by horseback." Eilian shared a knowing look with Giles, and Giles gave a sheepish smile. Both of them knew that as experienced horsemen that only a person who had little to no experience had this type of reaction to riding for long amounts of time.

As it was, he was slightly sore, but all of his running had been paying off, and he wasn't anywhere near as sore as he could have been.

Buffy completely missed this exchange as she was enjoying the feeling of being held by her Watcher once more.

Giles followed Eilian into the castle, glancing around at their surroundings, his Watcher instincts kicking in, trying to assess any possible danger and finding all possible exits.

Several of the servants in the castle practically bolted from their sight the instant that they saw Giles, leaving him wondering as to what was going on.

They finally reached a pair of very large doors, in front of which stood two guards.

On instinct, Giles dropped his eyes, feeling as though if he let them see who he was that something might happen. Something similar as to what had been happening throughout his time there already, and he didn't want it to happen again. Not when they were so close to seeing the king and getting some actual help.

Eilian spoke. "I am Eilian Beynon. I am here to request an audience with King Uther Pendragon. Sir Rupert and Lady Elizabeth are my companions."

At the mere mention of her name, both of the guards had twitched slightly. Now, they opened the doors with something akin to reverence.

Giles followed after her as she strode in, watching at how she held herself. She held herself in a manner that either seemed to speak of royalty or at least of very high rank, which led him to believe that she had lied about being a servant in the house of Celtica.

As they walked in, he saw a man wearing a red cloak leaning over a table at one end of the room.

One of the guards had followed them in, and now stepped forward and introduced them to the man. "The Lady Eilian Beynon, along with her companions, has requested an audience with the king, Uther Pendragon." The man in the red cloak looked up and reached for a goblet and took a deep swallow, before turning to them.

"Really..." was all that he said, then he caught eyes with Rupert Giles.

The Watcher was frozen in place as he stared at the man before him...who looked exactly like him. The man looked on in shock, as did everyone else in the room.

Buffy, who was still in his arms, motioned for him to put her down. "I think I can walk now."

He gently placed her on the ground, his arms still around her shoulders, just in case her legs decided to give out on her once more. She faltered for a moment, and then was fine.

"I'm good, Gi-" That was when she realized everyone in the room was silent. Then she noticed the man in the cloak and did a double take...and then a triple take.

She turned to Giles. "Oh wait...I get it. They're _both_ Giles!" Giles, at that point, was praying that Buffy would go up in flames. She obviously didn't realize the severity of the situation that they were in. Giles had already figured out that the man before him _was_ Uther Pendragon...and for some unknown reason they looked almost identical.

Buffy looked at Giles in confusion, and then realized that something was going on...something not good.

She moved over to his side, sliding her hand into his, trying to reassure him in that silent way that she had, but he barely even responded.

But soon Uther recognized the woman who had come to see him.

A look of soft surprise appeared on his face. It was so very similar to Giles' that it highly unnerved Buffy, but she was pleasantly surprised to see that they had the same smile. Uther strode forward towards Eilian, a hand reached out in broad welcome. She gently placed her hand in his, and he dropped a soft kiss to her fingers.

"My lady...it's an honor to have you in our court once more. We have missed your voice."

That was when Giles finally understood why she was being treated with such reverence and deference. She was a court singer...they were the ones that even kings would defer to.

To be trained in music was considered an honor as most of the old songs carried old stories and histories of the people, therefore the knowledge that singers carried was beyond priceless.

Eilian then turned towards Giles and his Slayer, a hand outstretched. "May I introduce my traveling companions Sir Rupert Giles and his fiancé Lady Elizabeth Summers." Giles waited in apprehension, unsure of how the two of them would be received in the court of the king of Camelot.

He saw Uther tense for a moment, and then relax. "Welcome, Sir Rupert and Lady Elizabeth. I am sure that you are tired from your long journey here..." His voice trailed as he took in their appearance.

He then continued, his voice hardening. "However, you look as though you've barely traveled."

Eilian broke in at that point. "That is because they only just joined me. Sir Rupert saved me from a griffin that had attacked me."

At the mention of the griffin, Giles saw the king reach a tender hand out towards Eilian, a look of true worry on his face. "Good lord...are you alright? Were you hurt in any way?"

Buffy watched this, and it reminded her of the times that she'd told Giles that she'd encountered a particular nasty demon on patrol. He always reacted in that way, with the same tone and look and everything. She looked back towards her Watcher, and couldn't help a small smile escape her lips.

Giles was younger and better looking though, by a long shot. At that thought, she froze. Is that what she really thought?

Eilian shook her head. "I only had a small scratch...however, my friends were less fortunate. They were attacked by thieves in the forest, and all of their possessions, save for Sir Giles' sword, which he managed to keep, were taken from them."

At these words, Uther glanced at the pair before him.

The woman was quite lovely, with golden hair and hazel eyes and she held his gaze without hesitation, the feeling of steely determination showing through in her gaze, as though saying she would not be the first to back down. The man beside her had obvious signs of being in combat. He held himself as one who had been tried and tested in battle; as a knight.

Giles watched in apprehension, and then straightened up a little further as he saw the king's eyes flit down to the sword at his waist, confirming part of the story that Eilian had just told him, obviously not wanting to leave anything to chance.

Uther glanced back towards Eilian and noticed the pleading look in her eyes...and he relented.

"Of course, we will let you stay. You shall be our guests for as long as you shall need." As he spoke these words, his face gave way to a pleasant smile and a charming disposition. Giles knew that the king was being very generous, but at the same time he was also very confused. He knew from legend that Uther was a brutal man, but here he was seeing a side to him that had never before been recorded.

Giles bent his head. "Thank you, my lord. We are very grateful for your kindness towards us."

The king nodded his head. "It is not a problem. As for accommodations, Eilian, you shall have the guest suite, as is custom, and the Lady Elizabeth can share chambers with my ward, the Lady Morgana."

At that, Buffy froze. That was a name that she remembered well from the stories. Morgana LaFey? _The_ Morgana LeFey?

She shared a glance with Giles, and he gave her a small smile of reassurance.

With those words, a servant moved forward to show Buffy the way to the room, but Giles quickly stepped forward. Before she could react, he placed a soft, gentle kiss against her lips, hardly any pressure. He quickly pulled back and placed another brief kiss on her forehead. "I shall see you."

He then pulled away and watched as Buffy was lead from the room to her new chambers.

Giles prayed that she didn't take it in the wrong way. It had been necessary, as he had seen the king watching them carefully, and if they were truly engaged that _was_ what would be expected.

He then turned back towards the king, and waited.

Uther smiled. "She is quite lovely, Sir Rupert. Though, rather silent." At that comment, it took all of Giles effort not to burst out laughing. Good lord...that had been Buffy at her least communicative ever! If only that man knew the truth.

The king continued to speak. "Your accommodations will be rather difficult to meet...however, I don't think that Gaius would mind if you used Merlin's quarters. Merlin can always stay in Arthur's chambers, as he is his manservant. Not that Merlin will be happy about the situation, but there is nothing else he can do about it."

At the mention of the name Merlin, Giles insides completely flipped.

Merlin? _The _Merlin?

Good lord...here he was in a kingdom that detested magic and Merlin was already serving under him? Was Arthurian legend completely wrong?

* * *

**Part 2/?**


	3. She'll What?

**3. She'll What?**

Buffy entered the room behind the servant, her mind still back on the kiss. What had that been about? Whatever it _had _been about, she certainly didn't mind.

She thought about how soft his lips were against her own, and a shiver ran down her spine. She wouldn't think about it; she would just put it out of her mind until...oh, wow. She stared at the room she had been brought into. It was rather stunning, in its' own way, with the stone and the soft materials draped over nearly every surface.

However, she couldn't let herself become complacent, so she took in her surroundings with trepidation.

That was when she noticed that there were no obvious places of bathing. Great, just great. How the hell was she going to survive without a shower?

A sudden movement came from the corner of the room, and Buffy tensed, but she soon relaxed as she saw that it was just a young woman. She stared for a moment...correction; a stunningly _gorgeous_ young woman. A girl about her age, but several inches taller than her, approached. She wore a dark blue dress and had long dark hair that was in startling contrast with her pale skin.

"Oh, Guinevere...I've been looking for you..." Her voice trailed as she saw the young blonde standing in the middle of the room next to her maid-servant and friend.

Buffy looked at the servant girl next to her in shock. Guinevere? _The_ Guinevere?

She let out a soft sigh, still trying to wrap her mind around what was going on, but letting everything fall by the wayside.

Morgana looked at the young woman in surprise. "Gwen...who is this?"

Guinevere looked at Morgana with a soft look. "This is Lady Elizabeth Summers. Her and her fiancé were accosted in the woods by bandits and have nowhere else to go. The king has stated that she is to stay in your chambers, with you, your ladyship." Gwen gave a small curtsy, but Morgana shook her head.

"Gwen, there's no need for that. Of course she can stay...in fact, lets see if we can find her a dress tonight for dinner. That one is a bit...well, let's just say too much."

Buffy looked at her, trying not to be insulted, but failing miserably. She liked the dress.

Morgana immediately picked up on her emotions and quickly explained. "It's quite lovely, don't worry...but one doesn't normally wear white when traveling or eating. Both times of possible mess and mayhem."

She finished the statement with a small smile, and Buffy couldn't help but smile along with her. The lady had a point.

Morgana gestured to Gwen as she spoke. "Gwen...if you could retrieve one of my older dresses...the green one, please." Gwen nodded, and then left the room.

A few moments later, Gwen was back, and in her arms was laid a gorgeous dress of a silky dark green fabric. Buffy looked at it with something akin to awe, and was surprised when Morgana told her that she could have it. Buffy looked up at the lady in surprise, and tried to say "thank-you-but-no-thank-you".

"Lady Morgana...that's very generous of you, but I couldn't."

Morgana insisted. "Please, take it. It no longer fits me, I outgrew it years ago...but it should fit you perfectly. Gwen will help you put it on."

At that point, Buffy halted. "She'll _what_?"

Morgana looked at her with a look akin to surprise, but not quite. She let out a soft sigh. "I _said_, Lady Elizabeth, that Gwen will-"

Buffy cut her off. "Oh no, you don't have to repeat yourself, I heard you the first time. It's just...I like to dress by myself. I'm fully capable of doing so, so that's what I'm going to do." At Buffy's words, the Lady Morgana shook her head, trying to convince the Slayer otherwise, but Buffy wouldn't hear a word of it.

After a few moments, both Morgana and Guinevere left the room, leaving Buffy to her own devices.

* * *

Giles let himself be escorted through the castle, while at the same time he marveled at the differences in actual fact compared to the myths and legends.

Morgana wasn't Arthur's sister, she was merely Uther's ward. Uther wasn't a tyrannical maniac who was utterly oppressive, he was merely a cautious man who was afraid of the unexplainable. And Merlin was...Arthur's manservant?

He sighed, and then looked up as a door was opened in front of him and he was ushered inside.

He immediately began looking around as he came into the room, and was surprised to see rather comfortable accommodations. However, he saw a book on the floor, and the title read _Liber Vita_...also known as the book of life. A magic book. Before Uther could notice, he quickly moved the book behind a corner with a small stream of magic from his hand.

As he did so, a young man with dark hair appeared from a doorway in the back, and saw what Giles had done...and the two of them locked eyes. Giles was filled with a strong inclination that this was Merlin.

Uther noticed the young man and turned his head towards him. "Merlin, I have something to ask of you."

Ahhh, so it was Merlin. Giles watched as the young man stuttered out a reply to the king.

"S-Sir, how can I, um...h-help you?"

At his response, and the slight look of trepidation in the young man's eyes, that was when Giles realized that Merlin was not accustomed to having the king talk to him directly.

He watched with slight amusement at the young man's unease and obvious nervousness as the king explained to him that he would be staying in Arthur's chambers for the time being. At that, Giles saw a smile of amusement twitch at the corner of Merlin's mouth and he wondered as to why that was, but soon Merlin had left and Giles was being shown his sleeping quarters by the king.

"You'll stay here until this evening, at which time you are invited to come to dinner. I will have someone bring you some clothes...however..."

Uther's voice drifted and Giles tensed, unsure of what the king was thinking.

The great man looked him up and down, and he felt even more nervous...and then the king spoke. "...I think that I might have a few things that would work, as we seem to be..." His voice trailed off, and there was a brief awkward silence. "Well, then, I will see you at dinner."

With those words, Uther left, and Giles exhaled. Good lord, that man was intimidating.

* * *

**Part 3/?**


	4. Eyes Up Here!

**4. Eyes Up Here!**

Buffy quickly discovered as to why Morgana had insisted that Gwen help her...the dress was next to impossible to get on and her Slayer strength wasn't helping her any.

She reached up behind her, attempting to draw the laces in tighter and then trying to tie them with her opposite hand, but as soon as she let go, all of the tension went out of them and it became loose once more.

"Ughh!" Nothing was working, and she was tired of it.

She shouldn't...but she had to. Keeping one hand on the laces, she made her way to the door of the room and poked her head out. Now where had those two wandered off to? She took a few tentative steps out into the corridor, and then heard steps coming down the way from the opposite direction.

She quickly turned, and saw it was a young man with blonde hair, wearing rather civilian type clothes...at least for this time period. Surely he would help her?

She spoke up. "Excuse me..." He looked up at her words, and she gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Hi...I'm having a little trouble with my dress...do you think you could tie this for me, please?" She turned her back and motioned to the laces that she was just barely holding together.

He tried to protest, but she cut him off. "Look...I can't do it myself and you're the only one here at the moment, so I have to make do with what I've got, alright? Tie the damn laces!" In shock at her language, Arthur tied the laces, trying not to let the sight of her bare skin provoke him into doing something stupid.

He finished the knot, and she turned around. That was when he saw how gorgeous she really was.

His eyes absently ran down her petite figure, admiring the way she looked in the dress...she was absolutely stunning. Buffy noticed the wandering eyes.

"Hey! Eyes up here!" she said, pointing towards her face.

His face went red, and he tried once more to explain, but she stormed down the corridor in a huff, leaving him confused as to what had just happened.

He continued down the hall, determined to speak to his father about the situation of Merlin being placed in his room...

* * *

Giles pulled on the breeches with some trepidation, but was pleased to discover that they fit him perfectly. He pulled on the black tunic over them and then reached for the belt that held his scabbard. As he slid it on, he heard sounds coming from the front room. A door opening and closing, and then opening and closing again.

He tensed up, briefly, but then realized that must be Gaius, the king's physician, entering and leaving the room.

After pulling on some boots and tucking a pair of leather gloves into his belt, he left the room.

As he entered the hall, the king ushered him down to the table where he sat and proffered him a seat. "Please, sit. You must be tired, at least somewhat, from your journey."

Giles sat down and nodded his thanks, while at the same time inwardly wincing as a couple of muscles in his back protested. Good lord, he was out of shape. A few years ago, a few hours horse ride would have been a piece of cake, but having the added responsibility of making sure that Buffy didn't fall off of the horse had put some strain on his back.

That was when he noticed the plans in front of him on the table. They looked like...battle plans.

Uther gave him a look. "So, Sir Rupert...do you understand what you see before you?" He waited for the man's answer, wondering if he would lie to him. He had seen the flash of recognition in Rupert's eyes.

Giles nodded. "Yes, I do. These are battle plans." He stood up, and began to reach for one of the maps across the table before realizing what he was doing.

He stopped and then looked at the king. "May I?"

Uther gave a brief nod of approval, and Giles continued. He stood, looking down at the plans for attack. If his historical geography was right, these were old maps of the area now known as Norway. He brought the two maps close together, comparing them carefully. 'That would mean that this area here is-'

His train of thought was interrupted by the doors to the room slamming open, a young man barging in.

He walked right up to Giles, the young man almost the same height as him, with his eyes blazing. Then he began yelling. "I can't believe you put Merlin in _my _room! He is annoying as _hell_, and I happen to know that he _talks_ in his sleep, so how the hell am I going to get any sleep? It's bad enough that he's my manservant, but now he's my _roommate_? Who the hell was so important that he has to be in _my_ room?"

That was when Giles began to stutter. "I-I...I'm n-not..."

Uther stood at that point, and that was when Arthur noticed the oddity. "Wait...why are there two of you?"

"Arthur..." Uther's voice was low and threatening, and Giles was secretly glad that he was not at the receiving end of that glare or that tone. "If you were observant at all, you would realize that _I_ am your father and that he is not."

The young man seemed slightly taken aback, however, he still seemed to be confused. In Arthur's mind he began to see the difference...this man before him was slightly younger than his own father.

Uther continued to clarify. "Furthermore, the man to whom you have just spoken is the guest that you have just spoken of...I suggest that you apologize to him."

Arthur, at this point, looked distinctly cowed. He dropped his head towards his father and then towards Giles. "So sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect." Giles merely shook his head, and dropped his hand from his sword, where it had immediately gone, almost automatically, at the unexpected verbal attack.

"None taken, I assure you, Prince Arthur."

He gave the young man a slight bow of his head, showing deference, and this seemed to go by with ease.

However, now directed towards the man that was his father, he began once more. "Why is _Merlin_, the witless wonder, in _my_ room? Where did you even-" His words were cut off by the king by merely a stony glare in his son's direction.

"He is there by my order," Uther replied, with an almost icy chill to the edge of his tone, as if appalled by the fact that his own son would dare question him.

This seemed to quiet Arthur, but it was obvious though that the prince was far from happy about the situation that was going on. He took a breath as if to speak again, but one more glance from his father soon had him closing his mouth completely and leaving the room with as much flair as he'd had coming into it, the doors slamming shut in his wake.

Giles looked on in surprise. _This_ was the famous Arthur? This spoiled, palace brat? He could barely believe his eyes, let alone his ears, at how he was behaving.

Uther turned towards Giles, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry for his actions, however, I had a feeling that he might react this way. He and Merlin have never quite gotten along, but they have confidence in one another...though my son may be blind to it."

Giles said nothing, merely turning back once more to the maps on the table, looking at them, trying to understand Uther's battle tactics.

Uther, however, did not join him. He took a few steps away from the table, his hand resting on his sword, his eyes seemingly focused on some unseen point in the distance.

After a few silent moments, he began to speak to Giles. "I know who you are, but I don't know why you're here, and I feel that is something that needs to be discussed." He turned towards the Watcher, a solemn and serious look on his face, and it was obvious that he was fully intending on having the discussion. Nothing would stop him from getting to the truth.

* * *

**Part 4/?**


	5. I Get It, Alright?

**I Get It, Alright?**

Giles was slightly nervous as Uther began to pace, and then his nervousness went up several notches as the king dismissed the guards and had them close the doors to the room.

Oh dear lord...what had he done now?

As Uther paced, he began to ask questions. "What is your purpose of your visit here in Camelot?"

Giles answered, and then he began to sweat as the questions began to become more and more intense. With each one, Giles had to wrack his brain for an answer that would make sense and coincide with the previous answers that he had already given. As the king began to ask about his family, Giles went silent.

Uther glanced over at him and continued to walk back and forth in front of him. The metal clang of the hilt of the sword against the metal tip of the belt buckle was a reminder of who this man was.

And how quickly he could dispatch the man before him.

Giles felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his neck, sliding under his tunic to trail down his chest. He was stuck, and there was no way out of it. He had to say something, but what it should be he didn't know.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off at the look in the king's eyes.

Uther stopped pacing and walked right up to him. "Rupert, I know exactly who you are, and I know who Elizabeth is as well, so there's no use in trying to lie to me any longer." It was the first time that Uther had dropped the appellation that had been given to him, and this made Giles tense up.

"W-What do you mean?" He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering, a sure sign of his nerves. It wouldn't help him at all if the king thought that he was intimidated.

Uther was silent for a moment, and then he lifted his eyes, staring at Giles coldly. "You know exactly what I mean. You are a Watcher and she is the Slayer."

Giles was shocked. How the hell did Uther know about this? This was after his time...or so he thought.

He said nothing, neither affirming nor denying the allegation placed against him, but Uther continued to speak. "You may think that you are safe in saying nothing, thereby neither confirming nor denying what I have spoken, but you do not have to speak for me to know the truth of who you are."

He suddenly reached forward and grabbed Giles' left wrist, and then pinned it to the table before him, his other hand pointing at the one piece of adornment on Giles' hands.

His voice was dangerously low as he spoke. "I know this ring...it is the mark of an active Watcher. Now, I want to know only one thing...why did you lie to me?"

Giles tried not to laugh in incredulity, but it escaped him. He looked up at Uther in surprise.

"I had a very good reason for not telling you the truth! You destroy all that is related to magic, and Watchers are trained in the magics to help protect their Slayer. I would have been killed the instant that anyone knew!"

He stopped speaking, out of breath, and waited in expectant silence. Anger was a reaction that he was expecting...but when Uther started to chuckle, he became very confused. He watched as Uther stood and moved to the other side of the table, still chuckling, while Giles looked on in absolute and utter confusion.

Why the hell was the king of Camelot reacting in such a manner?

Uther finally stopped laughing, and leaned forward on his right hand, lifting his left, the back of his hand facing towards Giles. That was when he saw it.

Uther was wearing the same ring.

* * *

Buffy finally found where Morgana had gone off to. The kitchens.

She snuck in through a door that had been locked...but nothing could stop a Slayer on a mission. And her mission was clear each time her stomach growled.

She looked around, trying to find some food...aha! There was a huge loaf of bread sitting on the wooden table in the center.

Buffy glanced around the room, making sure that no one saw her. The coast was clear. She made her way to the center of the room, her arm outstretched, when a hand suddenly snapped out of nowhere and gripped her wrist tightly. She looked up to see a young man with dark hair holding her tight.

She could have easily escaped, but she was so surprised that she froze.

The young man grinned. "I wouldn't do that if I were you...that's for the dinner tonight. Arthur would be mad at me if he didn't get his bread."

He slowly let go of her wrist, and she dropped her hand to her side, wondering who the person was.

His lopsided grin was somewhat charming, but she didn't let her guard down. For all she knew, he was one of the king's personal guards.

She finally spoke up. "Who are you?" His grin widened slightly, and he took a step back, almost as though he was...embarrassed? He kicked at the ground, and then responded. "My name's Merlin. I'm Prince Arthur's manservant. And, as of today, apparently the kitchen guard. He was rather adamant about it."

Buffy could barely believe what she was hearing. _This_ was the famous Merlin? He was no more than a boy...a slightly awkward boy, at that.

Merlin continued to speak, though it sounded more as though he were speaking to himself. "He was probably just trying to find an excuse to get me out of the room...of course, that's to be expected."

Buffy merely nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak at that moment.

He continued to mutter under his breath, as if forgetting that she was in the room. "I mean, of course it's expected. I'm just the servant...it's not like I save his _life_ or anything. It's not as though I've covered for him a hundred times, and then taken the punishment _every, single time_ and then been nice to him afterwards. I mean, it's not as if-"

Buffy raised her hand, cutting him off. "I get it, alright? Now, can you just tell me where Morgana went?"

Merlin raised his head, as though surprised to see her there. He had to think for a moment, and then pointed back to the door which she'd come from.

"Uh, yeah...she went that way."

She gave him a look, as if saying, _Is this kid for real?_ "That's all you can tell me? Her compass direction?"

Merlin shrugged, not sure as to what else he was supposed to say. She'd asked where Morgana had gone, and he'd shown her. So why was she being so snippy? Before he could ask her, she walked off in a huff, and that was when he saw that the top ribbon of her dress hadn't been tied correctly. "Miss...!"

But she was gone.

* * *

**Part 5/?**


	6. How Does He Know?

**6. How Does He Know?**

Buffy stormed down the hall, trying to find Morgana, when she heard her Watcher's booming laughter from beyond a set of doors that she'd gone through earlier.

Without thinking, she threw the doors open, desperate to see him, and stopped at the sight in front of her.

There was Uther sitting on the table in front of her Watcher, laughing his head off about something that Giles was telling him about. She caught the tail end of what Giles was telling him. "...and then, we find out that the demon is only an inch tall...an inch! It was rather easy to dispatch, and one of our more, uhm, _interesting_ occurrences."

Buffy could barely believe it. He was telling Uther about them being Watcher and Slayer? Was the man suicidal?

Uther responded to Giles.

"Let me guess...you forgot to translate the Gaelic text beneath the picture in the book?"

Giles laughed.

"Yes, exactly. Felt a bit stupid at that point."

Buffy couldn't take it any longer. She walked up to the table and grabbed her Watcher's hand.

"Gi-I mean, Rupert..._dear_...what do you think you're doing?"

The edge in her voice was obvious, and Uther noticed it, but Giles seemed oblivious. Or if he did notice, he set nothing by it.

Giles looked down at their entwined hands, slightly surprised at the way that she had grabbed it so easily, as though it was natural for her. He glanced up at her, and gave a small smile.

"I'm just telling Uther about some of our most, uh, noteworthy encounters. Wouldn't you agree that that was one of our more..."

His voice drifted as he saw her glare.

Uther had to hold back a slight grin at this Slayer's personality...it reminded him so much of his own Slayer...or, to be more accurate, soon to be Slayer.

"Gi-I mean, _Rupert_, why are you telling him about any of it...at _all_?"

That was when Giles realized that he hadn't told her. He reached for her hand with his other hand and gently placed it on top of hers, which still had an almost death-grip on his other hand, and he attempted to reassure her.

"Buffy...it seems that the king is aware of whom we are, and he understands what's going on." He gave her a gentle look, hoping that she would de-intensify and relax, as he knew that a tense and nervous slayer was also a careless one, and he didn't want to take any chances with her.

She relaxed slightly, but her grip on his hand did not...and he soon discovered that he didn't mind.

But it was obvious that she was still a bit unnerved.

"Okay, then. But, uhm, _how_ does he know?"

At this, Uther lifted his hand, moving his fingers slightly to emphasize the ring that was on his finger. Buffy noticed and slowly began to relax. She recognized that ring…hold on a second. She more than recognized that ring…that was _exactly_ the same one that Giles had, all the way down to the slight nick on the inside of the band.

She kept her inward revelation to herself, but silently was panicking. Oh god. Somehow, Uther Pendragon was Rupert Giles' distant ancestor. It was the only explanation that made any sense. But that would also mean that Giles was related…to…King Arthur. Holy. Freaking. Crap.

Buffy merely continued to smile, deliberately ignoring the fact that she was still holding her Watcher's hand.

Giles, however, was fully aware that her hand was still attached to his own.

He gave it a slight squeeze, attempting to reassure his Slayer that everything was alright, but she seemed to be ignorant of his reassurance.

He let it slide, realizing that it would take her a bit to get used to the idea that Uther was on their side. He gently slipped his hand from her grip, moving it to his shoulder, instead. She fell silent, and Giles exchanged a glance with Uther, who merely gave a small smile of understanding.

Giles picked the conversation back up.

"Buffy…Uther, here, has asked me to join the competition tomorrow."

At this, she seemed to become suddenly alert.

"What competition?"

Uther noticed her look of apprehension, and quickly explained.

"Very simply put, it's a competition among the knights simply for entertainment. Everyone is invited to watch, and I particularly wanted Rupert to join because of his…uh, shall we say, unique skills and abilities with a sword?"

Her tension lessened slightly, and she gave Giles' shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"Well…that sounds safe enough. At least you're fighting people and not demons." She gave a slight grin and moved back from him. "So long as it doesn't interfere with any of my training time."

Giles looked at her in shock. He had been almost absolutely certain that she would be thrilled to not have to train. He had been sure that she would have used the whole time traveling incident as an excuse to not have to train.

She gave him a knowing grin.

"What…I have to stay in top form, don't I?"

With that, she gave a small wave to Uther and walked out of the room, leaving a completely befuddled Watcher in her wake. Giles stared after her for a few moments, still in some slight disbelief at her actions, but soon recovered.

He turned back to Uther, who seemed slightly confused by the exchange. Giles didn't even bother to try and explain.

"Well," said Uther, obviously trying to pick up where one of their previous conversations had left off. "I can get you armor, that won't be too hard, but I'd recommend that you get your sword sharpened. It looks like it needs it."

He made a gesture to the sword that was at his side, and Giles simply nodded. He'd been meaning to get it sharpened and now he had a good reason to.

He had a swordfight tomorrow. And it wasn't just against other knights…it would be against Arthur himself.

* * *

**Part 6/?**


	7. Good Luck

**7. Good Luck**

Giles stood in the armory, waiting for someone to help him, when the boy that was named Merlin approached him.

"You need armor?"

Giles hesitantly shook his head in the affirmative, not quite believing that one of the most legendary people of all time was about to hand him armor. He said nothing as the young man looked through some of the shields and then handed him one.

"Here…this one should work for you."

Giles slid it onto his arm, testing the weight of it as he lifted it into the air.

It was relatively easy for him to maneuver, so he merely nodded and placed it back on the table in front of him.

However, a sword in the corner of the room caught his eye. Even though his own sword had been sharpened and was ready for him to use, this one, for some unknown reason, had drawn his attention. Moving carefully, so as not to draw the attention of Merlin, he reached across and gripped the sword's handle, drawing it quickly and easily.

It had almost perfect balance…that was very hard to accomplish in these times, especially with their methods.

He swung the blade a couple of times from his left hand, but inadvertently caught Merlin's attention and a panicked look entered the boy's eyes.

"No! That's Arthur's sword..."

He reached for it and gently took it from his hand, placing it back where it had been only moments before.

At the way he was treating the sword, Giles was able to deduce why he was acting that way around the weapon. The only explanation was that the sword that he had just held in his hands had been _the_ sword…Excalibur.

He took a moment to catch his breath, unable to believe that he had been holding Excalibur.

Merlin seemed unaware of this, and instead started to pull out armor and chainmail, having been charged with the task of getting him set for the competition.

He watched with some fascination as Merlin quickly and efficiently put the armor on him, as if he had done it plenty of times before.

That was when he realized. Merlin was Arthur's manservant which meant that he did this for Arthur every single time he went into any sort of combat, serious or not. It still amazed him that Merlin was merely a servant in the king's household, but he realized that true stories were very often lost in legend for more fantastical stories.

Soon, he was suited up, and ready for a fight.

For the first time in his life, he was actually looking forward to a sword fight. Unlike fighting with Buffy, where she could always win with her superior strength, _he_ would be the superior fighter.

A slight smirk crossed his lips at the idea. _He_ was the superior fighter.

He walked out and made his way towards where the competition would be held, nodding at some of the knights milling about, preparing for the fight.

There were a few women about, and he found himself looking for his Slayer. She would be rather distinctive with her bright blonde hair and forward personality, and he had a sudden need for some reassurance. Reassurance that he was sure that he could receive from her.

Suddenly, there she was in his field of vision, standing next to…yes, that was Morgana.

He paused slightly, but then Buffy spotted him, flashing him a bright smile that seemed to falter.

Buffy had been waiting for Giles to show up, and now that she saw him, she felt her heart pause for a few long seconds…and then finally start up again.

Good lord…when had her Watcher become so, so…so deliciously handsome?

It was a strange feeling, but one that she couldn't deny. The armor was light armor, so all it did was show off the fact that, yes, his shoulders really _were_ that broad, and, yes, he really was that tall. How had she never noticed how tall he was?

Then she realized that he was standing up straight, the armor forcing him into a more correct posture, much in the same way her corset was.

He slowly approached her, and she smiled somewhat shyly.

"Hey…nice armor there, Giles."

He gave her a pointed look, silently trying to remind her that there were people watching and listening. She quickly amended her greeting.

"I mean, good to see you, Sir Giles."

She gave a slight curtsy and she smiled, trying to hide her amusement at what she was having to do. He, too, had to hide a grin at her actions, knowing that her friends would have been shocked to see her acting like such a proper lady. He knew that she was probably itching to grab a sword and show these knights a lesson.

He gave a slight bow to both her and Morgana.

"Excuse me, Lady Morgana…I'd like to have a word with Lady Elizabeth, if I may pull her away from you for a few moments?"

Morgana gave the two of them a knowing look, arching an eyebrow at Buffy, and merely nodded, walking over to where some of the knights were milling about.

Buffy blushed and moved in closer so that no one could listen in on their conversation.

"I, uhm…I kind of forgot to tell her that we're not exactly, uh, engaged. So she thinks…well, you know."

He suddenly realized what she was implying and she watched with some amusement as his face flushed an interesting shade of red. He began to stutter slightly as he tried to respond to her, but only managed to spit out a few consonants.

He finally gave up and she flashed him an understanding smile.

"Well, it's not that bad. I mean, according to the rumors that have been going around, my man is quite the catch."

She winked at him, and watched with even more humor as his flush deepened even further.

She was secretly having fun turning him into a fumbling mess, but she knew that he hated feeling that way. She then gestured towards his sword, trying to find a more neutral subject, one that wouldn't leaving him scrambling for words.

"So…want to practice a bit beforehand?"

At this, he gave her another look, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you trying to give them a heart attack? Seeing any woman wielding a sword would be akin to a knight suddenly deciding to clean his own armor."

She gave him a devious grin, one that caused his heart to skip a beat. What he wouldn't give to have her looking at him like that in a much more personal and private situation, but he knew that that had next to no chance of ever happening.

"Yeah…but I bet I could show them a thing or two about fighting."

He gave her another look, one that was decidedly serious, and she felt something inside of her spark. Seeing him so serious while wearing the armor of a knight caused her to have an interesting reaction. It was such a unique look, and she found herself secretly looking forward to the upcoming competition.

Suddenly, Giles felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned around to see Arthur standing behind him.

"Good luck, Rupert."

Giles simply nodded and did that certain tilt of his head that Buffy knew indicated that he was uncomfortable.

"Y-Yes, and to you, Prince Arthur."

With that, he began to walk away, and Giles watched in fascination as Buffy's face went slightly pale. She took a deep breath, as though trying to collect herself, and Giles deduced that something about the encounter had made her significantly uncomfortable.

"Did you just call him Prince Arthur? As in…_the_ Arthur?"

Giles nodded, and he watched as she ran a hand over her face, seemingly embarrassed.

"Buffy? Are you alright?"

She shook her head.

"Oh, yeah, sure I am. I'm great, actually, now that I've just found out that the person that I asked to tie up my dress in the hallway happened to be the future king of Camelot. Oh, yes, I'm just fine and dandy."

He looked at her, chuckling, and then realized that she was serious.

"You what?"

* * *

**Part 7/?**


	8. Dueling

**8. Dueling**

Buffy move through the crowd around the, well, she guessed she could call it the arena, trying to find a decent spot to watch the duels, but was having trouble. She had been cut off at least twice and nearly groped a few times, and she sorely wanted to simply shove them out of the way or break some arms, but she knew that Giles would disapprove.

Speaking of Giles, she had seen him only moments before practicing with one of the knights, who seemed more than willing to help. She hoped that things were okay.

As she struggled for what seemed the millionth time to get through the crowd, she felt a hand at her shoulder.

That was it. Whoever this was, they were getting some broken fingers.

She reached up towards the hand, determined to hold nothing back, but then the voice at her ear made her freeze in embarrassment.

"Lady Elizabeth…would you care to join me up in the royal box?"

She turned her head to see Uther Pendragon offering her his hand, the very one that she had been determined only moments before to break the fingers of. He gave her a look, obviously aware of what she had been about to do, and she dropped her eyes slightly.

"Of course, my lord," she said as she quickly gave a slight curtsy. "I would be honored."

In the back of her mind she was silently thanking Xander for making her watch all of the old Merlin movies with Sam Neil, and thanking Willow for insisting that she read the entire Avalon series. They were both going into the friend hall of fame after her and Giles got back home.

With her hand resting in Uther's, she followed him up to where he would be sitting. Eilian already was sitting to the right of his chair, Morgana and Guinevere down and to the left.

Buffy briefly wondered where she would sit, until she saw a chair directly next to him on his left.

He motioned her towards the chair, but she was confused. Why was she being given this honor?

"Sir…?"

She gave him a look, but he merely motioned her, once more, towards the chair.

Following his unspoken order, she sat down in the chair, trying to ignore the fact that he'd just given her a spot that should have been reserved for Morgana.

He sat down in his chair, her hand still in his, and leaned over to speak into her ear. She was still having to get used to how similar he looked to Giles…heck, he looked like he could be his twin brother, but he was still slightly older.

"I thought you'd like to have a better view of the duels. I take it, that's what you were trying to find while you were down there?"

She nodded, slightly sheepish, but he squeezed her hand in understanding. She thought for sure that she would be uncomfortable with it, but the touch of his hand was fatherly and warm. It was reassuring, and that was something that she needed at that moment. Giles was about to go into battle.

Albeit, a battle with rules and boundaries, but she was still worried.

She leaned slightly forward in her chair, trying to spot him amidst the chaos, and she spotted him off to the side.

Good lord, he was an intimidating figure. She stared at him and couldn't help but notice the striking profile he cast in the armor.

Suddenly, Uther stood up and the susurrus of sound that had filled the arena died down almost immediately. It was a rather intimidating sight to see. She realized how much he was respected, and was confused to this side of him, as she had known only of the corrupt and evil one that had been spoken of in legend.

"People of Camelot…I am pleased that you have all come here today to see our finest knights test their skill against one another in their annual tournament!"

Oh…so that was what this whole thing was really about.

"The winner of today's tournament will have the privilege of receiving our highest honor…that of the Knight Royale!"

At this, everyone broke out into a cheer, and Morgana leaned back and caught Buffy's attention.

"Last year, it was Brielle who won. He was the one that you saw with Sir Giles earlier today."

She pointed off to a corner of the arena, where Buffy saw a man of lean stature absentmindedly swinging his sword from side to side. He had a scar along his right cheek, going through part of his lower lip, and long, dirty blonde hair that was particularly unkempt. He was unique among most of the knights due to his less than orderly appearance.

Buffy felt a slight chill run down her spine at seeing him. Her Slayer sense was telling her something…what it was telling her, she wasn't sure, but she knew that Brielle was trouble.

She glanced over at Eilian, and saw her staring at Brielle, as well.

No…it couldn't be. She tried to ignore the thought, but it persisted and made sense in a strange way. Eilian was Uther's Slayer.

_That_ was the real reason why he had given her so much respect. _That _was the reason why that she, too, was sitting up in the royal box, at Uther's right hand side, no less. Buffy slowly started to recognize the signs. Eilian was consciously keeping a somewhat light grip on the arms of her chair, something that a Slayer learned to do very early on.

At this, she felt slightly more at ease. It was obvious that she, too, was not comfortable with Brielle.

He would have to watch his back. It seemed that _two_ slayers had their eyes on him…and not in a good way.

Buffy sat back in her chair and watched as Uther gave the signal for the tournament to begin.

It started off with Arthur and a knight by the name of Parsifal. They went for two rounds, each of them winning one, and then Arthur took him in the last round. Raucous applause rang through the arena, Buffy's among it. He was quite good with a sword, she had to admit…but she had a feeling that Giles was just a _little_ bit better.

She watched the duels from the edge of her seat, secretly wishing that she could be down there herself, knowing she could easily beat any of them.

Besides, it had been nearly _two_ whole days since she'd had a chance for a good fight.

Finally, it was Giles' turn.

She watched with apprehension as he stepped into the arena, pulling his helmet over his head. He drew his sword and lifted his shield. He was going against Parsifal, and she was just slightly nervous…but as it started, she found herself suddenly worrying for Parsifal.

Her Watcher was poetry in motion as his sword slid through the air as though it were a part of his own body.

Before she had even fully realized what had happened, he was standing over Parsifal, who was suddenly without his sword.

There was a pregnant pause…and then the arena erupted in loud applause and cheers.

He pulled off his helmet and reached down a hand and helped Parsifal back up, who had also taken off his helmet. They were both grinning, obviously having had fun in their duel. Buffy couldn't help but grin at his reaction. That was her Giles.

She chanced a glance up at Uther, and he gave her a small grin from the corner of his mouth, and it was so much like Giles' that it threw her for a moment.

She ignored it, pushing it to the side, and turned her attention back to the arena. Giles won the second duel with Parsifal as well, so he moved further up in the ranks.

Duel after duel went by…and then Arthur and Giles were against each other. This was what she had been worried for.

She had been watching Arthur, and he had been doing excellent, not losing a single duel. But of course, so had Giles. She honestly wasn't sure who would come out victor at the end, but she had a distinct feeling that it would be extremely close.

They drew their swords and began to circle each other.

The first round went quickly, and Giles got in an extremely lucky blow, almost accidentally knocking Arthur's sword from his grip, allowing Giles to take a weak victory.

But it had seemed too…dull. She wasn't sure if that was the right word, but that's certainly what it had seemed like. Actually…that was when she realized. He had been holding back. He had actually been holding back.

She waited in breathless anticipation for the second duel to start.

She knew that Giles wasn't an offensive fighter, so she was shocked as she watched him make the first move.

He swung forward with a mighty force and for a brief moment, she thought that he was going to decapitate the prince…but then she watched in amazement as he hit his sword just right so that Arthur's helmet came off and his shield fell to the ground.

Giles then reached towards his own helmet and removed it, as well as dropping his own shield, a smirk appearing at the edge of his lips.

Buffy grinned. She knew that her Watcher hated carrying more weight than he had to, as well as hating obstruction of his sight while he fought.

They began to circle each other, yet again, and she watched as this time Arthur made the first move.

He swung down from the right, and Buffy watched in apprehension as Giles waited a second, and then moved out of the way just in time, swinging out with his own sword, and the sound of metal hitting metal rang through the air. He swung his sword again, moving their blades apart in one swift move.

Buffy continued to watch, permanently perched at the edge of her seat, her entire body filled with tension.

They went back and forth, lunging and jostling for the advantage.

Arthur suddenly swung towards him, his blade whistling through the air.

Giles swung up his sword in defense and then managed to move in such a way that Arthur's sword was suddenly pinned beneath his own. Moving forward and placing his foot on the blade where it touched the ground, he managed to wrest it from Arthur's sure grip, and soon the prince found his hands empty and was on his back, staring at the very sharp end of Rupert Giles' sword.

Buffy let out a deep breath that she hadn't even realized that she'd been holding.

She was thrilled that he had won, there was no doubt about that…but at the same time, she was beyond shocked.

Her Watcher had just won a swordfight against the infamous future King Arthur.

There was an even longer pause of silence this time, but then they burst into applause and raucous cheering, which she quickly joined. She stood up and cheered as loudly as she dared, but was pleased to see Uther standing as well, clapping loudly and solidly supporting her Watcher.

Buffy had a sneaking suspicion that Uther was glad to see a Watcher showing them how it was properly done.

As he sat back down, and everyone else followed his example, she caught a quick smug grin on the corner of his mouth.

Oh, yes…he was proud of her Watcher, that much was for sure.

But Arthur and Giles still had one more competitor. Arthur was up next to go against Brielle, and if Brielle beat him, then it was Giles' turn to face him. Buffy had been watching Brielle fight, and she was slightly nervous. He reminded her of how a vampire fought. Not much technique, but lots of brutal strength and speed to make up for it.

They left the arena, Arthur clapping a hand of congratulations on Giles' shoulder as they walked out, side by side.

Brielle stood in the corner, warming up using what she recognized to be a long blade.

As she watched Brielle swing his sword in a single effortless, almost too fast to notice swipe, she felt her insides clench.

Something about this felt very, _very_ wrong.

* * *

**Part 8/?**


	9. Fighting and an Intermission

**9. Fighting and an Intermission**

Giles swung his sword from side to side, keeping himself ready for his next fight.

He glanced over at Arthur and Brielle, who were squaring up against each other in the arena. Giles had been watching Brielle fight, and had warmed up with him, so he was slightly worried. Brielle didn't have much technique, but he was immensely strong.

Honestly, Giles wasn't all that surprised.

Brielle was slightly larger than the average man for that time and had extremely wide shoulders. As he had watched him fight through the duels, he had been reminded of the way that most vampires fought. Lots of strength and surprising speed.

Because of this, he felt that _he_ had a chance against Brielle, having had experience with that type of fighting…but he was definitely worried about Arthur.

He watched as the fight started, and was glad to see Arthur holding his own. Blade met blade, and they danced around each other. After about a minute, Arthur took him down.

It was only the first time, and it was obvious that Brielle was thinking of a different strategy with the king's son.

Giles could tell in the way that the man moved that this second time he was going to try and disarm the prince as soon as he possibly could, using his advantageous strength. The duel began a second time, and Giles was surprised by how quickly the knight took down the prince.

He swung two fierce blows, and the second knocked Arthur's sword from his hand, leaving him defenseless.

Arthur stood in front of him, completely disarmed, and the crowd cheered. Brielle had quite a large following and it seemed to be growing with every fight he won.

They waited for the third fight to start…and Buffy, still sitting on the edge of her seat, could barely believe what she was seeing.

There was something strange about watching Brielle fight. Something about it seemed annoyingly familiar. The type of strength, the preciseness of his speed. He managed to use them both in such a way that it reminded her of…_some_one. She just couldn't place it.

The third duel started, but this time the both of them took off their helmets, which gave her a better look at their expressions as they fought.

That was when she saw it. The steel in Brielle's eyes; the ruthlessness. The coldness.

It was like looking at Angelus all over again.

_That_ was who he reminded her of. As he moved his blade towards Arthur, and Arthur parried it back, she stared in shock as she was able to predict the swift, heavy retaliation of his sword as it swung over his right shoulder to come down with crushing force against the prince's sword.

Arthur weakly tried to retaliate, but the opposing knight came in with another strong blow at an astonishing speed, and Arthur's sword went flying across the arena.

The crowd erupted in cheers from one particular side.

Buffy clapped her hands politely, but inwardly she was silently scared.

This meant that it was Giles' turn against Brielle. She quietly prayed that the powers above would keep him safe. Suddenly, Uther stood and raised his hand, causing a silence to fall across the outdoor arena. He then began to speak.

"Before our last duel, we will have a brief intermission…and a special performance by our visitor, Lady Eilian Beynon of Celtica!"

At this, _every_one cheered. Apparently, she had sung for them before and was well known.

Eilian slowly stood with the aid of the king's hand. He gestured her towards the front of the royal box, and she looked almost shy as she took the center.

Buffy watched with some amusement as Eilian cast a glance back towards Uther, looking somewhat nervous, but he gave her an encouraging smile, so she moved a couple steps forward and silence fell once more across the arena.

She slowly began to sing, and Buffy found herself captivated by her voice.

She couldn't understand any of the words, but the tune was gloriously haunting and filled the air over the arena.

Giles, down at the edge of the arena, was also amazed by the young woman's voice.

He vaguely recognized the dialect that she was singing in. It was a _very_ old form of Gaelic, so he was only able to catch a few words here and there. It was something about a lost father…or guardian. He wasn't entirely sure on the particular word because it had several different, but intertwined, meanings.

He stopped analyzing, realizing that it was getting in the way of his enjoyment of the piece.

Her voice washed over him, and suddenly, as he heard more of the words, he heard a name that he recognized.

Bowen.

She had said that the horse's previous owner had been her mentor…a man named Bowen. She had mentioned it to him on the ride to the castle. That was when it hit him. Eilian was the Slayer that Uther had mentioned…and Bowen had been her previous Watcher. The word she had been using didn't mean father or guardian…it meant Watcher.

_That_ was why she was being given such special treatment by the king. And since he had no wife, no one thought anything of him spending time with her.

In fact, spending time with her would be encouraged, in hopes that he might bring a new queen to the throne.

Her song slowly ended, and everyone burst into applause, something that was so common during the tournament, that it almost seemed not enough for such a performance of her caliber.

He clapped politely, still stunned by the revelation that he'd just had, but then realized that his duel with Brielle would be starting at almost any moment. He drew his sword, testing it for a few seconds, swinging it back and forth, preparing himself for the grueling fight ahead.

It would be interesting to say the least; he knew _that_ much.

He walked into the arena, sliding his helmet back on. Even though he loathed wearing it, at that particular moment he was glad for its protection.

He had a feeling that he would need it against Brielle.

Brielle walked into the arena, absentmindedly swinging his sword from side to side, seemingly unworried. Giles grit his teeth and tightened his jaw. _This_ time there would be no holding back. He hadn't wanted to hurt any of the rest of the competition, especially Prince Arthur…but for Brielle, he would hold nothing back.

It was time for Ripper to come out and play.

* * *

**Part 9/?**


	10. Retaliation

**10. Retaliation**

Giles stepped forward, and gave his sword a quick test swing.

Brielle would be interesting to fight as he was left-handed, as was Giles. Giles had been having to use his right hand to fight for most of the day, and now was getting the chance to use his dominant hand. He was looking forward to this.

They moved into the ring, and he was, in a somewhat dark way, hoping to show Brielle a lesson.

They began to circle each other, the both of them sizing the other up. Giles was fairly confident that he could defeat him.

He'd had the chance to study his fighting style throughout the day, but that also meant that Brielle had had the chance to follow his own movements as well.

They slowly moved around each other, and Giles took the chance to properly size up his opponent. He knew that Brielle was just slightly weak on his back hand, so he would have to take as much advantage of that as was possible.

Suddenly, Brielle swung, and Giles barely moved back in time. He was so close that he could feel the breeze of the sword as it just barely brushed the surface of his armor.

He immediately realized what his mistake had been. He had been assuming that Brielle would fight as the other knights did…but Brielle wasn't like the other knights.

Giles had been watching and knew that Brielle held nothing back. He was out for blood. He would not show any mercy.

His inner Ripper quickly responded to the blow that had almost landed and Giles lashed out with a lightning fast strike towards his opponent's left shoulder. Force him to fight with his less dominant hand, and he could certainly have a fighting chance at defeating him.

He felt his blade catch the edge of the shoulder plate, but then, Brielle, too, managed to get out of the way just in time.

Giles pulled back slightly, trying to figure out what his next move would be.

There were only a few things that he wouldn't do, but it honestly depended on what Brielle would do.

If he was pushed, then he would have no choice but to push back. Yes, it was just a competition and did not mean life and death, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't stop Brielle from putting out every effort that he could to win.

Brielle swung out, this time trying to come in with a low blow, but Giles quickly blocked it and retaliated with a swinging strike to Brielle's shield.

The impact was hard and sudden, and the shield broke beneath the force of his swing.

Giles was slightly shocked, not realizing that he'd hit the man's shield that hard.

Brielle quickly dropped his shield, his body language almost portraying relief at the fact that it was gone. That was when Giles realized why Brielle's fighting was so familiar. He was fighting the way that Giles did while on patrol with Buffy.

He felt something inside of him plummet as he realized what he was seeing.

He was fighting against someone who'd had the same training as Giles did…Watcher training. Brielle, too, Giles had observed throughout the day, was accustomed to not fighting without a shield, and he was utilizing the moves of his enemy. He was moving like a vampire because the only way to defeat a vampire was to match him in strength and speed.

Both of those things were constantly reinforced throughout Watcher training…which meant that Giles was going to have to pull a few modern moves in order to defeat him.

He quickly dropped his own shield and then voluntarily took off his helmet.

Brielle saw this, and Giles saw the grin on his face revealed to him, as he, too, relieved himself of his helmet.

Suddenly, faster than he could almost follow, Brielle moved in with his sword, and Giles brought his arm up, barely blocking the knight's blade in time. Soon, they were engaged in heated battle, neither of them holding back anything as they went at each other.

Giles suddenly found his sword partially pinned, so he pulled a move that he'd seen Buffy do once before while on patrol.

He moved his sword in the opposite direction than was expected, down towards the ground, and then thrust upwards with his wrist.

Brielle fell back, thrown by the move, but quickly recovered and brutally retaliated.

Giles thought that he had moved out of the way in time, but the twinge that he felt in his right side told him that he hadn't. Brielle had broken skin. Giles tried not to flinch as he moved back slightly, keeping his right arm down towards his side.

Then that was when Giles remembered. They only had _one_ fight.

He had forgotten in the heat of the battle. He should not be holding anything back. _That_ was the reason why Brielle was being so aggressive.

He knew that he only had the one shot…which meant that Giles was going to have to do something that he ordinarily wouldn't.

Something that he'd never wanted Buffy to see.

Realizing that he had no choice, he readied himself for the move. It was a brutal move, and usually used as a killing strike, but he knew how to modify it so that it would only maim. It was pulled from street fighting and back-alley ju jitzu, as well as basic medieval sword fighting.

He moved so that he deliberately opened himself up for a frontal attack…and Brielle went for it.

Just as his sword should have pierced his flesh, Giles did a fast turn to the right, bringing his sword hand up and over Brielle's neck, knocking the pommel of it against the top of his spine, causing the man to fall even further forward through the gap that had suddenly appeared in front of him, and then Giles dropped to his right knee, leaving his left knee up to catch Brielle directly in the center of his chest, the angle causing him to flip over onto his back onto the hard ground in front of him.

Quickly, and without even thinking about it, Giles knocked Brielle's sword from his hand while the wind was knocked out of him, and then stood, his right foot on the blade that lay in the dirt, master-less, and his left foot on top of Brielle's left wrist, making sure that he didn't even _think_ about going for his sword.

Brielle looked up Giles' blade, where it was pointed at his throat, shock and anger filling his eyes.

Giles saw this look and it shook him to his core.

It was just like Angelus.

There was an incredibly long pause of silence.

Buffy, who had watched the whole thing occur in just a few seconds, sat there in shock at what she'd just seen her Watcher do.

She had never before seen him so…so…so relentless. It was a bit scary for her to realize that this was a part of her Watcher. And then Uther started to clap, and soon everyone else followed. As Uther rose to his feet, so did everyone else. It had truly been an amazing fight.

Buffy stood and politely clapped, but inwardly she was trying to reconcile the man she knew with the man that she had just seen in front of her.

She realized, because she was an experienced fighter, that he could have killed him very easily with that move, but had so much control that he was able to make it into only an offensive attack.

Giles stood there in the center of the ring, now off of his opponent, and she watched as Brielle refused to have Giles' help up, and instead slinked out of the ring as though he had been truly humiliated.

As far as she could tell, he needed to be taken down a few pegs, but she was still slightly shaken.

Giles nodded towards the king and gave a small bow, but Buffy could see the wince of pain on his face. She quickly looked him over and didn't see any obvious wounds, but it was possible that there was one beneath the chainmail.

She waited patiently as Uther gave her Watcher the award of Knight Royale, but was apprehensive on the inside.

As he walked out of the ring, removing his armor, she felt her heart stop as he suddenly fell to his knees clutching his side where blood seeped from between his fingers.

* * *

**Part 10/?**


	11. Between Watcher and Slayer

**A.N. - Please remember, Eilian _does_ have an English accent, which makes a big difference when reading her character. That's all! I hope that you enjoy the update!**

* * *

**11. Between Watcher and Slayer**

* * *

Buffy immediately stood up in the box, wanting nothing more than to rush down to her Watcher's side, but realized what it might look like to everyone and paused.

However, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to see that it was Uther's.

He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and then nodded down to where Giles stood, indicating that it was okay that she go to him. Needing no more reassurance, she rushed from the box down to the edge of the arena, quickly going to her Watcher's side.

She slid her arm underneath his, supporting his weight easily, and then was stunned as Arthur came her Watcher's aid as well, putting a supporting arm on the other side.

Even though she knew that she was stronger than the prince, she let him take over, realizing the odd image it presented to the crowd.

Arthur caught her eye as he started to walk away with her Watcher.

"I'll get him help, Lady Elizabeth, I promise."

With that, she realized that it was the knights' job to take care of their own, and she reluctantly pulled away, letting Arthur get Giles the medical help that he would need. Most likely they would go straight to Gaius, and that was when she realized that she _could_ follow without setting off anyone's suspicions.

She followed several steps behind until they arrived at Gaius's quarters, and she waited impatiently as the two of them pulled off Giles' armor.

Gaius closely examined the wound in Giles' side, giving it an inscrutable look.

Buffy watched in apprehension, pacing and wringing her hands, trying not to look worried but failing miserably in her attempts.

Gaius noticed her pacing and caught himself grinning at the sight. She was fairly obvious in her nervousness, so he quickly put her fears to rest by immediately telling her what had happened and how quickly her knight could expect to recover.

"My lady, he was not too badly wounded. All he needs are a couple of small stitches, as it was a little deep, but he should recover within the next day or so."

At that, she visibly relaxed.

"Good, good."

She was obviously relieved, and stopped her pacing, her hands stilling and falling to her sides.

Arthur stood to the side, watching everything, and a brief flash of recognition went across his face as he looked at Buffy. This was the woman that he'd met in the hall, the one whose laces that he'd tied up. He felt a slight flush cross his face as he realized that this was Sir Giles' fiancé, so he turned slightly to the side and slid out the door as silently as he could.

Seconds after Arthur had left, Uther and Eilian walked through the door, both of them with looks of worry on their faces.

The king spoke first, his tone one of genuine concern.

"Gaius, how is he?"

Gaius hid his surprise at the king's obvious concern for the man that he barely knew, and he quickly explained to him what he'd explained to Buffy only moments before.

"A few stitches, my Lord, and a couple days of rest are all that he needs."

Gaius nodded to the king and then nodded, too, towards Eilian, briefly noting that her hands were wrapped around the king's arm and that the king gave no objection. Gaius turned back to his patient and a slight smile crossed his lips at what he'd just seen. Good…it was about time for Uther to find someone.

At that point, Giles moved on the cot and reached a hand out towards his Slayer.

"Buffy…"

She quickly went to his side, realizing that while in pain he might reveal too much about them…such as her unconventional name.

She looked up at the two confused faces, Eilian and Gaius, and she quickly explained. "Just a nickname, you know? One of our things…I usually just call him by his surname, Giles, so don't worry, he's not hallucinating or anything…"

Her nervous energy faded, and she realized she might have said too much, but Gaius simply smiled and Eilian's look of confusion turned to one of comprehension.

Buffy merely held on to Giles' hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, which he gently returned.

Uther saw the look in her eyes as she looked down at her Watcher and he could read the emotion behind them, even if she didn't recognize it herself.

Motioning towards Eilian, he escorted her out of the room, leaving Buffy and Giles with Gaius, confident that they were all in good hands.

Uther's hand was at his new Slayer's elbow, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for the woman who was now in his care. He knew that now was the time for the two of them to talk, so he motioned her to his chambers, where he then closed the doors and walked to the opposite wall.

It had been a while since he'd used the hidden entrance, but he still remembered how to open it.

Right next to one of the torches on the wall he found a stone that was slightly worn that had the smallest of indentations in the left upper corner, one just big enough for a ring.

He lifted his left hand and pressed the ring into the space and moved back as the stones shifted and revealed a complete training room.

He ushered Eilian in ahead of him, a hand at her lower back, and then pressed his ring into a similar indentation on the other side of the wall, closing his eyes and sighing in relief when the stone closed behind him. In here, he was not a king, he held no mantle of responsibility for the lives of others.

In here, the only person that he served was his Slayer, and the only person he was, was her Watcher.

He opened his eyes and was slightly amused to find that she had already slipped her dress off to reveal tailored trousers that were easily hidden beneath a dress and a converted corset that had several places for her to secure her weapons. Her boots beneath her dress were leather and were allowed in public, so long as no one could see any higher than her ankle…because above that was a wooden stake slid into a makeshift strap that was attached to her boot.

She quickly gathered her hair in her hands and deftly pulled it back and plaited it, tying it securely with a small strand of leather.

It was obvious that she wanted to train, and was more than willing to, but now was not the time.

He kept his voice even as he spoke, knowing that she was still very emotionally volatile after having seen her previous Watcher get killed.

"Eilian…please, sit down."

He motioned towards a long wooden bench on the far wall, so she made her way over to it and carelessly sat down, obviously not caring in the least about how lady-like she was. A Slayer had to able to wear two faces…during the day, one of the demure and modest noblewoman to the populace, and at night, one of a fearless warrior for her Watcher and to the demons she killed. _This_ one was something in between, and he found himself curious about it.

"Eilian…" She looked up at him as he said her name, and he paused, but then continued. "Eilian, we need to talk."

He sat next to her and watched as she dropped her eyes and dug at the stone floor with her boot.

"I…" She hesitated. "I'm not sure if I can even talk about it. It still…it still hurts."

Uther knew what she was referring to, and he let out a deep sigh. He knew that it would be hard to talk about, but he knew that she needed to talk about it. If she didn't, it could affect her slaying, and possibly lead to her own demise.

"Eilian…Bowen was a great Watcher; _that_ cannot be denied. And you are a great Slayer."

She looked up at him, and he saw a faint damp look to them, as though she were holding back tears.

He forged ahead, needing to say everything that lingered in the air between them.

"And, though you may not understand it, though it is a horrible loss to the Council, and to me, to have lost Bowen, I cannot help but be slightly grateful as it has given me the chance to do what I've always been called to do…to serve the Slayer."

He gazed at her imploringly, silently beseeching her to understand and to realize what he meant.

A slow smile crossed her lips, even though a few tears had escaped the corner of her eye. She slowly stood up and then turned to face him.

"Well, then…I guess that I am glad to be serving not only under a Watcher, but under the king of Camelot, himself."

He returned the smile, and stood up as well, briefly realizing that she was as short as Giles' Slayer was. It was hard to believe, considering her strong personality, and he figured that that must be what made up for the height difference.

Finally, with the air between the two of them cleared somewhat, he walked over to where he kept his weapons and cast a mischievous grin in her direction.

"So…care for some training?"

A broad smile now covered her face and she nodded in the affirmative.

"Oh, yes. It's been a while since I've stretched my fighting muscles." She began to walk around the room, stretching her arms above her head, and then her own mischievous grin fell across her lips, and Uther was surprised at the fact that he was just now seeing her beauty.

She stretched down to the floor, placing her hands flat against it and for a brief moment he envied her flexibility…but then she stood up, the sly look still on her face.

With a teasing, an almost suggestive tone, she motioned to him to drop the sword he was holding, and he did so, confused.

But her next words cleared everything up.

"I think we should start with hand to hand, today."

He grinned in response, and as they started, the only thought in his mind was how sore he was going to be the next day.

* * *

**Part 11/?**


	12. Between Slayers

**12. Between Slayers**

Uther watched as Eilian left through the door on the other side of training room that led to her quarters. The room that he used for training had once been the room for kings and their illicit lovers to meet, but Uther had never used it as such a room. Instead, he had allowed the Watcher's Council to institute a spell over it so that it could only be opened by the active Watcher and Slayer.

It had stayed empty for years until he had finally put it into use and started training to be a Watcher. He had been called late in life, but had accepted it.

Though he detested magic, at least the Council of Watchers were on the right side of it.

All of this crossed his mind in mere moments, and he sighed at the internal weight that he felt from his calling.

At least, now, he had someone that he could talk to about it. Rupert Giles. At that point, he decided to make his way down to the man's quarters, knowing that, as a Watcher, Rupert was probably wide awake at that moment. Nighttime was where a Watcher lived and breathed their work.

And right now, he had an idea that he wanted to discuss with the man.

He knocked on the door as loudly as he dared, and then slowly pushed it open, completely unsurprised to find Rupert wide awake and reading.

Uther glanced at the book and grinned. Ah, yes. He'd seen that book lying around Merlin's chambers before.

He made just enough noise to be heard, and Giles' eyes snapped up from the page that he'd been reading. Nothing was said as Uther crossed the floor and walked over to the table, sitting across from the other Watcher.

"So…interesting reading?"

Rupert shrugged, closing the book, not even bothering to mark his place. "I guess so. But that's not why you're here, is it?"

Uther shook his head and leaned back slightly in the old wooden chair.

"No…it's not."

Giles sighed, running a hand through his hair and wincing at the movement, as the action of raising his arm had pulled on the stitches. He gently lowered his arm back to the table and looked over at the king, trying to reconcile the man in front of him with what he had seen for the past few days.

This was the least guarded that he'd seen the king, but he could see that there was still a wall that had yet to be broken.

The silence stretched for several moments, until Uther stood back up and began to pace.

He finally broke the silence.

"I…I have an idea," he started, and then paused before continuing. "I was thinking that it might be beneficial if my Slayer and yours...uhm, train together."

At this, Giles' eyes snapped up, hardly believing what he was hearing. But at the same time, he could see the merit in the suggestion. Another Slayer was a perfect match for another Slayer in a fight, and they could use the chance to learn more about each other's methods.

He glanced up at Uther and simply nodded.

Uther nodded in return. "Then it's decided."

* * *

Buffy laced up the shoes that Morgana had given her and, quickly, before anyone could come in and notice, she slid a small stake inside.

She didn't know much about what was going on in this particular time and place when it came to vampires, but she was not going to be surprised. A sudden sound came from near the door, and she looked up to see Eilian walking into the room, already dressed in what could be considered training clothes.

"Hey…isn't it kind of, uhm, dangerous to be wearing that around here?" Buffy asked, giving a pointed look at the girl's trousers.

A small smile graced the young woman's lips.

"Nope. Uther's cleared the corridors and sent everyone to different places of the castle so that we can walk to the training room without being seen."

Buffy looked at her in surprise, but then shrugged. She'd take it as it came.

Quickly, and thankfully, she stripped off the dress and joined Eilian in walking down the corridor to her room, where they would then access the training room.

The blonde-haired Slayer had already had on the proper clothes underneath the dress, just in case, and she actually found them surprisingly comfortable. The pants were soft and supple, as was the shirt, and the boots wouldn't look too bad even in modern times.

They finally arrived at Eilian's chambers, and then she pulled a small knife from the inside of her boot and made a small slice on her palm, pressing it to the stones on one wall.

Buffy watched in appreciation as the wall opened up to reveal a large training room that even _she_ was envious of.

"Nice room," she said as she glanced around.

The weapons hadn't changed one bit. Swords on one wall, crossbows on another. Buffy chanced a glance towards the other Slayer's shoes…and she smiled.

She could see the faint outline that she was well familiar with. Stake.

Eilian waited for the wall to close back up, and then she turned to face her new sparring partner.

"So," she said, trying to start a conversation. "Uther says you and your Watcher are from another time? How is that even possible?"

Buffy shrugged her shoulders.

"Demon, magic portal, fell through. That's all I know."

At this, Eilian smiled and let out a small laugh. "Of course…magic truly is the bane of our existence, isn't it? No wonder Uther wants it gone from the kingdom. It truly makes things complicated..."

Buffy looked at the brunette Slayer in surprise. Was that what the girl really thought?

But at the same time, she slightly understood where Uther was coming from. Magic _was_ dangerous when it interacted with Slayers. Slayers tended to make magic go a little wonky, and things never happened as planned.

She continued to mull it over as she started to stretch her muscles, preparing for a good long training session.

Though it hurt her to remember the time, she recalled the times when she was able to train with Faith and how much she had learned from the other Slayer.

Yes, the girl hadn't been as trained, but the dark-haired Slayer had known some good rough-and-tumble tactics that had helped her in the past.

Buffy briefly wondered what particular kinds of techniques she might learn from Eilian, and resolved herself to the mystery for the time being. It was a different time and place, and for all she knew, Eilian could be better than she was.

After about fifteen minutes of separate warm-ups, the two Slayers met in the center of the room.

They began to lightly spar, throwing softer punches, feeling each other's style out.

Soon, though, Buffy became bored and decided to up the pressure and quickly swung around with a roundhouse kick, but suddenly found herself on the floor.

She laughed as she realized what had happened.

As soon as she'd swung her leg around, Eilian's hand had quickly come forward and snatched her ankle in mid-kick, and then swung her down to the floor. It was a bold move, and tricky to do as it was very hard to time.

Buffy got back up to her feet and gave the other Slayer a grin.

"Good move…Giles has been trying to teach me that one for the past couple of years, but I'm still working on it."

Eilian gave her a faint smile.

"Yeah, well, it's a hard one to do. I've only just mastered it, and I've been training since I was ten."

At this, Buffy's eyes widened in surprised. Had she just heard that correctly? This girl had been training since she was ten? How was that even possible? She paused a moment, trying to figure out how to put her question delicately, but then gave up and went with the forward approach.

"How have you been training since you were ten?"

Eilian looked at her in surprise.

"They knew I was a Potential, of course. I had the mark, so they took me in and started training me immediately."

Buffy nodded in comprehension, remembering what she had learned about Potentials when Giles had her reading the Watchers' diaries.

"So…" she said, drawing out the vowel, trying to figure out what to say. "Uther's your second Watcher, right?"

Eilian nodded, an odd look on her face.

Buffy immediately realized and understood what she was going through. The girl had lost her previous Watcher, as had Buffy. "Uh, well…let's just say that I know what you're going through." Eilian looked up in surprise and Buffy gave her a pained smile.

"I lost my first Watcher, too. Killed right in front of me…not the greatest thing in the world…"

Buffy paused, and then continued.

"But Giles…Giles is amazing. Best Watcher a Slayer could ask for."

Eilian gave the blonde a faint smile, and then walked over to an old, plank wood bench, setting herself on it, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Yes…I can tell that you two get along quite well together." The brunette paused, absently kicking her foot against the stone floor. "Uther and I…well, I've worked with him before. When Bowen was still my Watcher, he brought me here a few times to practice and learn more in swordsmanship…"

The silence was long, and then Eilian said,

"And I never thought he would be my Watcher…I thought he was safe."

At hearing these words, Buffy's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "What do you mean by safe?"

"Oh, you'll probably laugh at me when I tell you…but, can you keep a secret?" Buffy nodded. "Alright, then. When I first met Uther I was…captivated. He was everything I could wish for in a man, and because he was unattainable, I let myself fall in love with him…

…and now he's my Watcher, and I can't have him."

At hearing this, Buffy's heart stopped for a moment, and then picked back up again.

She looked down at the brunette and felt her heart reach out to her, and realized that the girl was feeling very alone, and needed comfort.

Finally, coming to a slow realization, she sat down on the bench next to Eilian and simply nodded her head, placing her hand softly over the other girl's hand.

"I know the feeling."

* * *

**Part 12/?**


	13. Not Always the Same

**Chapter 13 - Not Always the Same**

After their brief moment of talking about their Watchers, they went back to sparring, both of them enjoying the challenge that the other Slayer was bringing.

Buffy noticed that Eilian's style was much more refined and fluid then her own, her technique practically flawless, but she wasn't as good at improvising. Buffy, once she realized this, used an Aikido move to take the brunette Slayer off guard and soon had her on her back on the ground.

Eilian groaned and slowly sat up, moving the loosened hair from her braid out of her eyes with a toss of her head.

"Goddess, what kind of move was _that?_" she asked, breathless.

Buffy flashed her an unrepentant grin.

"Oh, just a little something that I learned from my Watcher," she said as she reached down and helped the other girl up off of the floor.

Eilian let out another groan as Buffy helped her up and then stumbled slightly on unsteady legs. Buffy moved her other hand to the girl's shoulder, steadying her, and the brunette looked up at her and gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you…that took me a bit off guard, I must admit."

The blonde haired Slayer gave her a worried look, keeping her hand on her shoulder, making sure that she was alright.

"You gonna be okay?"

Eilian nodded.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'll just need a minute…"

She paused, obviously catching her breath, so Buffy slowly stepped back and started to turn away, but was then taken off guard by a leg sweeping behind both of her knees, dropping her to her back on the cold, hard floor and she felt all of her breath leave her at once, and then was suddenly being pinned by two strong legs on top of hers and she looked down and saw a stake being gently pressed to her chest.

"I win," Eilian said, a smug grin on her face.

Buffy finally caught her breath and let out a low laugh.

"Yeah…_this_ time, maybe. But that's what's called cheating."

The other Slayer gave her a serious look as she stood up.

"Considering there are no real rules when you're fighting, there is no such thing as cheating…only living or dying."

Buffy slowly sat up and watched Eilian walk back over to the bench, and in her mind Buffy admitted that the girl was right. There really _was_ no such thing as cheating. Only winning. Because if a Slayer lost…they were dead. The mood had drastically changed from playful to serious too quickly for her own comfort, so she brushed it off as she stood up and went over to join the other Slayer.

"Yeah, you're right," was all she said, and then Eilian suddenly began to apologize.

"I'm sorry for saying that. It's just, ever since…Bowen…I…I just…"

Buffy stopped her with a hand on the other girl's hands.

"Hey, I get it. It's okay. It's not easy being a Slayer and watching people you care about get hurt and not having the ability to save them. It's hard…I know. I've been there. Now," she said, trying to change the subject, "What's vamp activity like around here?"

Eilian shrugged, pulling her shirt over her head, revealing a second shirt underneath that was practically sheer from the sweat that soaked through it.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I haven't yet had the chance to do any hunting around here, yet. Besides, I'm not planning on going out until Uther says I can and clears it with the Council."

Buffy looked at her in shock, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"Wait…are you telling me you don't go out on your own? That you have to have _permission_ to go patrolling?"

The brunette looked baffled by Buffy's confusion and simply nodded.

"Of course I do. A Slayer must always listen to her Watcher's council and abide by, as well as observe, all of the rules and regulations as pertaining to the Council's orders. A Watcher is there for a Slayer to listen to and be guided by."

Buffy couldn't hold in the snort of laughter at hearing the young woman's words that sounded like they were quoted directly from the Slayer handbook, and slowly stood up, vacating her seat.

"Wow," she said, still trying to keep her laughter under control. "And here I was thinking that we were a lot alike. Apparently, not so much…"

Eilian was now the one that was confused, and so she asked, "Are you telling me you don't listen to your Watcher?"

Buffy quickly clarified.

"Oh, no…I _listen_, but that doesn't mean that I have to blindly agree with everything he says. I'm a smart girl and, being the Slayer and all, well…it gives me a unique perspective on things. Watchers…well, at least the Watchers where _I'm_ from, don't exactly do much field work, so I make the calls more often than not. One of the perks of being the Slayer, you know?"

Eilian still looked confused, and began to voice it.

"I…I must admit, some of your words don't make any sense to me, but Watchers here are _required_ to go hunting with their Slayer. They usually have _more_ experience than the Slayer, as they have to train not only her, but Potentials as well."

Buffy gave her an odd look, tilting her head to the side and then said, "You say it like you've seen it…"

Eilian simply stared at her.

"That would be because I have." Buffy looked surprised, so she quickly explained. "I've known three Slayers and their Watchers. An average Slayer only lasts three years, at most…I've already been a Slayer for two and a half years…"

Her voice faded, and Buffy suddenly saw the difference and the similarity between the two of them in the same instant.

Buffy had family and friends to also help support her in her calling as a Slayer…but Eilian only had her Watcher. And she'd gotten her first one killed, so she was probably terrified that she would get Uther killed as well.

They were both terrified of losing their Watchers, but they dealt with it in entirely different ways.

Buffy dropped down to her knees in front of Eilian, who had dropped her head into her hands, and she gently pulled them away from her face and held her gaze.

"Hey…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…well, to be so cold. I…I knew another Slayer once, and she was a great fighter, but she never let anyone in because she knew that if she did that they would get hurt. But because of that, she never had anyone to talk to when things got hard, and…it went really bad for her. _Really_ bad. It's better if you let someone in. So…you can trust me. I promise."

Eilian stared at her for a moment, and then nodded.

"I believe you."

Buffy nodded.

"Good."

She stood back up and then said, "Now…where's the bathroom?"

* * *

**Part 13/?**


End file.
